Advocacy - working on your behalf to:
    - Promote the advancement of the dental hygiene profession
    - Promote the oral health of the public
    - Promote access to oral health

Advocacy is an important component in any organization and its members to make legislators aware if their positions on policy issues.  As a licensed profession governed by state practice acts and rules, dental hygiene is directly impacted by many policy issues that shape day-to-day dental hygiene practice and the delivery of oral health care services.  The involvement of you, a dental hygiene professional and member, is critical to the success of any advocacy effort!

Scope of practice, access to care, continuing education, and reimbursement under Medicaid are all examples of issues that require advocacy at the state or federal level.  In many instances, ADHA and constituent state associations work in collaboration with other organizations, including organized dentistry, to affect policy changes.

At the national level, ADHA works with Congressional leaders, federal agencies and other associations to promote federal policies that encourage increased availability of oral health care.

At the state level, ADHA assists state associations to work with state legislatures and state dental/dental hygiene boards to improve laws and regulations that protect the public's oral health and enhance the practice of dental hygiene.  For more information about the advocacy efforts of your state association, visit the state's website: [link to list of state websites/contact info]

The practice of dental hygiene has come a long way in the past 15 years. Check out this chart to see some of the areas of progress.